Home health care services
Home health care services may be available to help older people with many aspects of health care, such as medications, wound care, medical equipment, and physical therapy. The provider may come for a few hours each day or stay 24/7.
Home health care services may include in-home nursing care to help a person recover from surgery, an accident, or an illness. If the person just left the hospital and still needs nursing care at home for a short time, the hospital can help arrange for a home health aide. In-home health services can also help manage long-lasting (chronic) conditions such as diabetes, for example, by testing a person’s blood sugar or giving insulin through a pump.
What to know about costs:
- Home health services charge by the hour.
- Medicare has limited coverage of home health service costs. The services must be short-term and provided by agencies certified by Medicare.
- Medicaid also provides coverage for home health service costs, but these benefits vary by state.
- Most private health insurance plans do not cover these costs.
- You must pay all costs not covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance.
Help with everyday activities
Does the older adult need help with chores, such as housecleaning, yard work, grocery shopping, or laundry? Some grocery and drug stores will take orders over the phone or online and deliver the items to a person’s home, and someone you know may have a housekeeper or gardener to recommend. Laundry and dry-cleaning services that pick up and deliver clothes are another option.
Older adults may also need help with personal care. This includes everyday activities, also called “activities of daily living,” such as bathing, dressing, grooming, using the toilet, eating, and moving around — for example, getting out of bed and into a chair. To provide support for personal care, a relative, friend, or trained aide could help for a short time each day.
Some older adults, especially people who live alone, simply need someone to check on them. You can ask family, neighbors, or nearby friends to drop by on a regular basis to make sure the older person has everything they need.
Nutrition, food, and meal services
Maybe you’re worried that an older person isn’t eating nutritious meals or is eating alone too often. You might suggest they share cooking duties with a friend or have a potluck dinner with a group of neighbors. Find out if their religious community or a local senior center serves meals. Is it hard for the person to get out? Plan to bring them a healthy meal a few times a week, ask a neighbor or friend to help out, or consider a meal delivery program.
Meal delivery programs bring healthy, nutritious meals to a person’s home on a daily or weekly basis. Many of these services offer options for special diets and can handle dietary restrictions. However, the delivery staff do not assist with making meals at home or feeding the person.
Transportation services
If an older person can no longer drive, neighbors or volunteers may be able to help take them to the doctor’s office or run errands, such as grocery shopping. Transportation services can also help. They drive people to and from medical appointments, shopping centers, and other places in the community.
Various state and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, and companies offer transportation services for older adults. Some senior housing complexes and community groups also offer rides. Public transit agencies often have discounted fares and other services for older adults and people with disabilities. Many communities also have taxis, ride-sharing services, and other transportation resources available. If needed, you can request a vehicle that will accommodate a wheelchair, walker, or electric scooter.
Emergency medical alert systems
If an older person lives alone, you might be concerned they will become sick, fall, or get lost when there’s no one around to help. Services such as an emergency medical alert system, fall monitor, or GPS tracking device can help lower these risks.
Emergency medical alert systems respond to medical and other emergencies via an electronic monitor that a person wears. The monitor alerts emergency personnel when a person becomes lost, falls, or needs urgent medical assistance.
However, emergency medical alert systems won’t be useful in every kind of emergency. They must be set up correctly and worn by the older adult, and the batteries need to be charged or replaced as recommended. These services can’t replace regular check-ins by family, friends, and other caregivers.
Help for caregivers
Caring for an older adult can be rewarding, but it can also be demanding, difficult, and stressful. To get support, talk to a trusted family member or friend, or seek counseling from a mental health professional. Join an online or in-person support group for caregivers. These are people who will know what you’re going through and may have suggestions or advice.
It’s important to take a break if you need it. You can ask another family member or friend to step in, hire an aide to come for a few hours a week, or sign up the older person for an adult day care program.
Respite care
Respite services provide short-term care for an older adult at home, in a health care facility, or at an adult day care center. The care may last anywhere from a few hours to several weeks at a time. These services provide regular caregivers with a break to rest, travel, or spend time with other family and friends.
Adult day care services
Adult day care services can provide a much-needed break for caregivers at home. These programs provide a safe environment for older adults with trained staff in a nearby facility. An adult day care center may offer social activities, exercise, meals, personal care, and basic health care services. Some will provide transportation — the facility may pick up the person, take them to day care, and then return the person home.
Reference: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/services-older-adults-living-home